--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First and foremost is to not allow the…" description: "\"First and foremost is to not allow the reestablishment, if you will, of an extremist sanctuary that can export the kind of terror that ended up with te..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/david-petraeus-11182_allies_first-and-foremost-is-to-not-allow-the-r_2717471.jpg" --- # First and foremost is to not allow the reestablishment, if… ![“First and foremost is to not allow the reestablishment, if you will, of an extremist sanctuary that can export the kind of terror that ended up with terrorists taking down the World Trade Center and plowing into the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. That's the point: We started this war…” quote by David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/david-petraeus-11182_allies_first-and-foremost-is-to-not-allow-the-r_2717471.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/david-petraeus-11182_allies_first-and-foremost-is-to-not-allow-the-r_2717471.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c92/david-petraeus-11182_allies_first-and-foremost-is-to-not-allow-the-r_2717471.jpg) > “First and foremost is to not allow the reestablishment, if you will, of an extremist sanctuary that can export the kind of terror that ended up with terrorists taking down the World Trade Center and plowing into the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania. That's the point: We started this war because the Sept. 11 attack came from this area. And we do not fight alone, but with some 40 allies who share that view.” [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He emphasizes preventing extremist safe havens that could spawn terrorism, highlighting coalition effort against such threats. **In simple terms:** Stop extremist sanctuaries to prevent future attacks. Key Takeaway Support international cooperation to dismantle terrorist bases. Themes security terrorism coalition Mood cautious serious Type political strategic When to use this quote - policy making - military strategy - intelligence analysis Key Concepts counterterrorism geopolitics Questions to Reflect On - What measures can strengthen coalition resolve? - How to address root causes of extremism? A Different Perspective Complex political dynamics can hinder unified action. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Allies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/allies/) [Areas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/areas/) [Ended Terrorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ended-terrorists-2856118/) [Extremist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremist/) [Extremist Sanctuary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extremist-sanctuary-2856117/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Israel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/israel/) [Kind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kind/) [Pennsylvania](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pennsylvania/) [Pentagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pentagon/) [Plowing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plowing/) [Reestablishment Extremist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reestablishment-extremist-2856116/) [Sanctuary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sanctuary/) [Sept 11](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sept-11/) [Share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/share/) [Started War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started-war-2147871/) [Terror](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terror/) [Terrorist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/terrorist/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Views](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/views/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-trade/) [World trade center](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-trade-center/) ## Related quotes > [The Homunculi may have started the war, but we were the ones who carried it out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hiromu-arakawa/the-homunculi-may-have-started-the-war-but-we-were-the-ones-who/) [Hiromu Arakawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hiromu-arakawa/) > [Every time that we've ever fought, we fought to keep from bein' destroyed. 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Without that, they have no place in the world - only to serve the People of Israel,.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ovadia-yosef/goyim-were-born-only-to-serve-us-without-that-they-have-no-place-in/) [Ovadia Yosef](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ovadia-yosef/) > [If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use? Two strong oxen or 1024 chickens?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seymour-cray/if-you-were-plowing-a-field-which-would-you-rather-use-two-strong/) [Seymour Cray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seymour-cray/) > [No one lives on the top of the mountain. It's fine to go there occasionally -for inspiration, for new perspectives. But you have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-gordon-webster/no-one-lives-on-the-top-of-the-mountain-it-s-fine-to-go-there/) [Arthur Gordon Webster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-gordon-webster/) > [The most peaceful thing in the world is plowing a field. Chances are you’ll do your best thinking that way. 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Denmark comes to mind, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/if-you-look-at-casualties-you-find-countries-that-had-much-higher/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [I will not ever run for political office. I can assure you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/i-will-not-ever-run-for-political-office-i-can-assure-you/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [Political progress will only take place if sufficient security exists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/political-progress-will-only-take-place-if-sufficient-security-exists/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [Even the Interior Ministry in Riyadh was hit. 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Funding, trainings, arming and, in some cases, even directing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/iran-as-we-have-already-discussed-has-carried-out-very-very-harmful/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) > [This is actually true of the overall fight against al-Qaeda and trans-national extremists, that as you put pressure on them in one location, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-petraeus/this-is-actually-true-of-the-overall-fight-against-al-qaeda-and-trans/) [David Petraeus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) [Explore all 61 David Petraeus quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-petraeus/) ## More Allies quotes > [I genuinely did not expect more than half our nation to choose to walk away from our long-term allies into the arms of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-reade/i-genuinely-did-not-expect-more-than-half-our-nation-to-choose-to/) [Brian Reade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-reade/) > [If the women in the factories stopped work for twenty minutes, the Allies would lose the war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joffre/if-the-women-in-the-factories-stopped-work-for-twenty-minutes-the/) [Joseph Joffre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joffre/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. 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